Submissions/2011 Italian Wikipedia blackout

From Wikimania 2012 • Washington, D.C., USA

This is an accepted submission for Wikimania 2012.

Submission no.

701

Title of the submission
2011 Italian Wikipedia blackout
Type of submission (workshop, tutorial, panel, presentation)
presentation
Author of the submission
Niccolò Caranti, Lorenzo Losa, Luca Martinelli, Vito
E-mail address
ncaranti AT gmail.com, Special:EmailUser/Laurentius, Special:EmailUser/Sannita
Username
Jaqen, Laurentius, Sannita, Vituzzu
Country of origin
Italy
Affiliation, if any (organization, company etc.)
Wikimedia Italy
Personal homepage or blog
Wiki spiegata a mia nonna (Italian)
Abstract (at least 300 words to describe your proposal)
The SOPA initiative had a less famous ancestor: the it.wiki's blackout!
On October 4, 2011, it.wikipedia has been shut down by its users as a form of protest against the so-called "Wiretapping bill", a bill of law proposed to Italian Parliament. The initiative influenced the withdrawal of the proposal, and it served as example of what Wikipedia community can do and what it can achieve, even outside the Internet.
Despite it involved directly only the Italian-speaking community, which is far less extended than the English one, our blackout made it also on international press.
Nonetheless, it may be useful to make a recap of what we did, and to share our practices with other Wikipedians.
The aim is to avoid any kind of misunderstanding on our intentions (that still are to remain neutral on every issue, but one: the existence itself of Wikipedia), and, on the other hand, to foster the knowledge about what we really did.
Our attention will be focused on:
  • the problem at the origin of the protest: people (even politicians!) were not aware of the side-effects of the proposed law
  • consensus on the protest and technical implementation of the blackout
  • media reactions: press, web
  • reactions from our visitors: #wikipedia-it IRC channel was flooded by hundreds of users giving us an incredible amount of live feedbacks
  • analysis of effects on: the number of visitors, fundraising, and clearly on the law itself!
  • differences and similarities with the later English Wikipedia blackout.
Track
Wikis and the Public Sector
Length of presentation/talk
25 minutes
Will you attend Wikimania if your submission is not accepted?
(Jaqen) Yes.
(Sannita) Yes.
(Laurentius) Yes.
(Vituzzu) Most likely I wont, I shall be busy in July.
Slides or further information (optional)
The 2011 Italian Wikipedia blackout.pdf
Special request as to time of presentations
none.


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